A Fellow Traveler : Chapter 5: Back to San Jose

24.07.2013

Checked out of my hostel in Granada and said goodbye to some new friends. Made it downtown for a last taste of indio viejo to take on the long bus ride ahead.
The ride was uneventful. Another long border wait crossing into Costa Rica. Listening to Ryan Adams. Appreciating the sight of wind farms. Watching the sun set behind the clouds.
Back to Hostel Van Gogh! The owner, David, and I sat down to watch Life of Pi and eat popcorn. It feels like coming home.

25.07.2013

Happy Guanacaste Day! This is my second national holiday on the Bonder-tour, this one celebrating the annexation of the Guancaste province in 1824 from Nicaragua when the residents sought to distance themselves with the civil wars that weighed in their original nation. It creates a contrast from Liberation Day and gives a good example of how geography and identity shift through sociopolitical eras and the impacts that has on lives and livelihoods.
Breakfast with David of eggs and toast. Need to save some room because today I would grab a bus to Cafetal, the gluten free restaurant in Escazu! Today's choice: the chicken crepe and a side salad with a balsamic reduction. This restaurant does not disappoint; I recommend it to anyone, gluten free or not! I snagged an alfajore cookie for the road... as well as a slice of apple tart and three sweet chili rolls. What?!
Walked over to the MultiPlaza which, by hearsay, is the largest mall in Central America! What better way to celebrate a national holiday, right? I bypassed Tiffany's and Cartier and Swarovski (oh my) to hit the North Face store to get a new rain cover for my backpack.
I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and bought a giant papaya (not as big as those in Masaya) for $1 and some food that I might actually cook in the hostel! I love eating out but it does make a bigger dent in the fellowship funds than the occasional bowl of cereal and quick pasta dish.
I was running late so grabbed a $10 taxi home, dropped off my purchases and walked to Balmoral to meet Pablo. We went for lemonade and fudge sundaes at Q Cafe, the first place we went together last time I was here. Familiarity is such a blessing sometimes. Pablo dawned a typical hat and scarf associated with the Guanacaste festivities. There is a picture of me in the outfit too but this is my blog and I have the pleasure of not posting bad photos of myself.
We walked back to Hostel Van Gogh to pack up my stuff and then walked down to El 13, a bar that was sorta taken over by local LGBTQ folk. It was karaoke night which was run entirely off of YouTube searches. Unfortunately, karaoke ended shortly after we arrived and I didn't get to sing, again. There were having a Guanacaste Day celebration and there were some great outfits given a modern punk flare. The bar itself would fit well into Seattle with the bike mounted upside down on the ceiling, the book pages for wallpaper, and the religious kitsch. We toasted my whiskey and his Coca-Cola and talked about art and culture and globalization; such a savvy guy, that Pablo.
We shared a cab and I made it home in time to watch the end of Cruel Intentions with David. Sleepy.

26.07.2013

Breakfast of papaya and peanut butter. A few minutes to talk with Kevin. Finally catching up on emails and opened a New York Times article from Bopha about the Department of Social Work at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia where I worked last year! I know everyone who is quoted! What's more, it is an article that actually talks about social work with a social work lens!! I miss this group so much - some of the best teachers I've had.
Pablo came by and we went for breakfast at the Hotel Don Carlos around the corner from my place. I was pretty full so just had eggs and did not order a side of bacon. I still regret that. Pablo was an architecture student and wants to continue his studies one day. We talked a lot about architectural differences by geography and climate, the politics of physical spaces, and different approaches to community organizing for political action. He also gave me tips on architect, Oscar Nwimayer, to check out in Brasilia.
I walked him to his bus and he gave me a walking architecture tour of San Jose on the way. He showed me a brick wall with painted tiles depicting the story of Don Quixote, the municipal theater that is the predecessor to the National Theater, and the former site of the national library which is now a parking lot. We both lamented the loss that comes when we forget to preserve our histories, in whatever form, be it brick or stories.
Pablo also told me the real story of the National Theater's creation, which is a pretty classic love story: Costa Rican boy meets girl, who happens to be French opera singer, Adelina Patti; boy and girl have a love affair over years and oceans; girl refuses to sing in Costa Rica for lack of a 'proper' theater; boy petitions his friend, the President, to help raise money to build the theater using philanthropic donations and a self-imposed tax on coffee bags for plantation owners; President's sister refuses to sell her home and so theater is half the size hoped; building is constructed, but not before girl retires from her singing career; girl never sings in the theater; boy is heartbroken; Costa Rica inherits a beautiful event space that is very alive with art today despite budget cuts for the arts (as well as many other sectors).
Droped Pablo off at bus and checked out Iglecia Merced. Stopped to buyRambutan (mamon chino here) from VW bus-turned-fruit stand. I ate this in Cambodia more days than not. Sweet memories.
Home to change and out to the Mercado Calle Nacional de Artesanías y Pinturaartist, the arts and crafts market by the National Museum. Popped into an Asian market and found the sweetened rice crackers I ate almost every day in Cambodia. Good Cambodian shopping day in San Jose!
Spent a couple of hours at the National Museum. Was most impresed with the exhibit in the southeast tower which focuses on the end of the civil war in 1948 and the transition of the large fort to the operation of the museum. They even removed the top of the tower as a sign of peace, that it would never again be used as a military lookout. The smaller tower is now the cornerstone for a butterfly atrium with beautiful, colorful creatures flitting about.
Outside again I wandered up and down the streets of San Jose between the museum and home taking in some of the most incredible graffiti art I have seen in one place. It was often bold, poignant, and grand. My favourite, a pre-Columbian statue masked with Disney's Micky Mouse ears and nose - an interesting commentary on the juxtaposition of culture. That, or.... what do you think?
Back toward Van Gogh, I stopped by Body Men across the street and talked to Ronnie D. who owns the store and designs all the swimsuits and undergarments he sells there. Yes, I bought one. A small one. A small, red one. I can't help myself.
Home to catch up and snack on goodies bought yesterday. Watched The Orphan with David and other hotel guests. He teased me about it the rest of the night saying Esther (the creepy girl in the movie) was sleeping in the crawl space above my room. Not funny.

27.07.2013

Breakfast with Sophie and Jeff from Sydney, Australia. Such wonderful people.
Pablo came by to gather me around 9:30 for our day trip to Manuel Antonio Beach about two hours south of San Jose in Puntarenas. It was supposed to be an outing with a few of his friends too but there was a tragic loss and the trip fell apart. Pablo was excited to get out of the city and I was anxious to see more of the country so we kept our plans to go.
We picked up snacks and took a taxi to the bus. Perfect timing, only waiting 10 minutes for departure. It was a long ride; I slept a bit since I had bad dreams the night before and not sleeping well and waking up early too many days.
Got off the bus just before Manuel Antonio Beach in the city of Quepos, a smaller, quieter town with a lovely harbor. Couldn't find an inexpensive place to suite our needs so we spent a bit more money and got a room at the Best Western Kamuk. We walked around town. Town is very small so we literally walked around it. Ended up finding a nice tipico place for lunch and eating the pollo de la diablo. Walked along the seawall and caught what little sunset there was before the rain began again. Back through town in search for sugar - he got gelato and I found a chocolate meringue cookie.
It was getting late and dark at this point and we were trying to decide what to do and realized we had a pool in our hotel. Electrical storm played backdrop for some great swim time.
Eventually got cleaned up and looked for dinner. I wasn't so hungry and only ordered patacones- - the largest order of patacones I have ever seen, that is. We ate dinner and watched the rain and sang Disney songs in harmony. These are great moments in life.
Back to the hotel and turned on the television. Laughed when I realized I was in Costa Rica watching a French newscast of the elections in Cambodia. Sometimes I find myself missing home; tonight I find myself missing Phnom Penh. Love to all my Khmer friends.

28.07.2013

Made our way down for breakfast in the hotel restaurant overlooking the sea. Back to the room to collect our things and check out. Camera is dead. Did not bring charger. Disappointment can also feel like freedom if you know where to look for it.
Caught a bus from Quepos over the hill to Manuel Antonio passing dozens of beautiful hotels and restaurants hugging the bluffs. Walked the beach down to the start of the National Park and back again. Found a nice place to post and laid out in the sun for a while. Took turns playing in the surf while the other watched our belongings. Body surfing until the waves got the better of me. Watching parasailing over the open bay. Pablo and I building a religious compound in the sand that looked a bit like Angkor Wat. My first day of getting too much sun but only a bit pink, no burn (I'm being careful, Kevin, I promise).
Grabbed lunch and walked around town a little bit before catching the bus back toward San Jose. Long ride with a bit of traffic. Slept for 2 hours. Palbo and I shared stories of family trips and sang more songs. We talked about culture and shared ideas about what culture really is. Thinking a lot about the difference between learning about the "culture" of Costa Rica versus the personal endeavour of cultural humility - a lifelong process of learning about individuals and communities in the context of relationships without reducing people through cultural essentialism (or, for more reading).
Shared a cab and said goodnight as I slipped back into Hostel Van Gogh, my home in San Jose. Made dinner of rice pasta with herb butter and white beans. Tried to chat with Kevin and the internet failed. Terrible timing. Finally got to say goodnight.
Talked with David about his business. It was a long journey from his first, unsuccessful hotel to Van Gogh which is now the top rated hostel in San Jose since they opened just 8 months ago! Tomorrow he meets with his lawyer to look over papers for a new boutique hotel he and his business partner are about to begin work on. He really is an impressive man. His hobbies include reading about economics and learning languages; right now he is studying Farsi.
I typed a while and read new updates online and realized how much I HATE not having access to the University of Washington's online journal library.

29.07.2013

Finally catching up on the blog. Made crispy treats with corn cereal - a not-so-subtle attempt to make friends at the hostel. Read more about the results of elections in Cambodia. Talked with Kevin on G-chat and researched my little heart out on many an item including places to be in Brazil; South America seems so soon on the calendar.
Pablo came to collect me in the afternoon and we caught a bus to Guadalupe, a barrio of San Jose, to the National Institute of Music for the rehearsal of the National Symphony Choir. Had to introduce myself to the director who is a very intimidating man who is from Venezuela but has been conducting the choir for the past 25 years! He is clearly talented and has an amazing voice himself.

Left a bit early to make dinner at Tin Jo, a pan-Asian restaurant with a full gluten-free menu!! Veggie fresh rolls as an appetizer, a wonderful vegetarian curry for my entree, and a mint and tamarind iced tea to wash it down. Owner came by to chat for a while and I was happy to thank him for the meal and the GF menu. Pablo ordered the tempura banana with vanilla ice cream for dessert; my sweet treat was a limoncello.
Home to eat up my crispy treats and share them with David and the cute French boys who checked in tonight. Crispy treats as friend makers = win!

30.07.2013

Started the day's activities with a visit to the National Theater for the Costa Rica International Jazz Festival. Today was a quintet from New York University. Got to sit in the same box seats that we sat in for the opera last month! It was great to listen to music - I don't get nearly the musical fix traveling as I do at home. It also made me miss New York and the Skiena clan. Kevin has no interest in living in NYC but I still sent him an email tonight asking if maybe we could just for a year, like for a post-doc or something. He asked if I was kidding.

Took another long walk after the show. The city offered a few more specimens of graffiti art to appreciate along the way and with some powerful messages. It makes me wonder how many times I pass such insightful beauty at home without noticing. We should all take the opportunity to be tourists in our own cities now and again. Buy a guide book and grab your camera and explore your own culture!!!
Stopped into the former postal building for Central San Jose which is now a gallery and performance space for the Ministry of Culture and Youth. Beautiful replica of Rodin's sculpture, The Thinker, in the lobby. Sadly, I will miss a free production there this weekend. Also sad, I cannot link their organization here because all of the Google hits are related to a sexy video of their former deputy director which was leaked on YouTube. Isn't it sad that you can find so much slander online that you can't find information about youth and art? There is a culture that we create in what we search for and what we watch online.
Quick stop at home for a snack and then off to meet Gaby, our friend that joined the choir for our first and last dinners. We went to the cafe at the National Theater for the ambiance and wonderful drink menu. Tonight I settled on the aguadulce, a caffeine-free drink made with sugar and water, this version blended with spices. There was an artist showing there, Edward Brends, who has a magical whimsy to his work. It was all I could do not to buy the image of the piece with the lighthouse. Really, really considered it... may email him right now...
Said a long goodbye to Gaby - will be so sad not to see her again for a while. Made my way to Nuestra Tierra, a great and very popular local restaurant, for a small plate of chicken with the usual suspects on the side. Had I more money and a group of friends I would have ordered the large family-style meals that looked and smelled amazing at surrounding tables. Next time.
Returned home via the grocery store and cuddled up to type. The hostel is buzzing tonight with guests, all of whom I seem to like. I got to hang out with David a bit. I will miss him dearly. He has made such a wonderful space at Hostel Van Gogh but he really is the shining star of the establishment and his warmth and humor will live in my heart. This is my last day in San Jose and I will be sad to leave - it has been my home in Central America; I have been here for two weeks of the six I have been traveling. This is the Bonderman.